Guest Blogger!

The passing of Steve Jobs on October 5, 2011 meant that the world of technology will never be the same. The ex-CEO of Macintosh was more than just the co-founder of Apple, he was an innovative and creative genius. He was the brains behind the first personal computer and Ipod. When Jobs wasn’t inventing and creating, he was speaking. Here are some quotes from one of the most amazing men history has had to offer.

Conformity is boring.
“It’s more fun to be a pirate than to join the navy.”

Sweat the small stuff.
“This is what customers pay us for—to sweat all these details so it’s easy and pleasant for them to use our computers. We’re supposed to be really good at this. That doesn’t mean we don’t listen to customers, but it’s hard for them to tell you what they want when they’ve never seen anything remotely like it.”

Sometimes, focus groups aren’t the answer. “For something this complicated, it’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”

What it means to be a creative person. “Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they’ve had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people.

Can you say this about your workplace? “We’re just enthusiastic about what we do.”

Take note, small business owners.
“Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It’s not about money. It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it.”

Traditional media remains vital.
“I don’t want to see us descend into a nation of bloggers. I think we need editorial oversight now more than ever. Anything we can do to help newspapers find new ways of expression that will help them get paid, I am all for.”

Don’t. Settle.
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”

Words to live by.
“Stay hungry, stay foolish.”

Read these quotes and then reread them. These are the ideas and ways of thinking that made Steve Jobs one of the most successful and respected men on the planet.